The House of Representatives is set to commence the 2025 budget defence session with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on Tuesday.
The Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Hon. Abubakar Kabir Bichi(APC, Kano) disclosed this in an interview with journalists after the inaugural meeting of the panel on Monday.
News reports that President Bola Tinubu had presented the N49.74 trillion 2025 Budget (Appropriation Bill) before a joint session of the National Assembly on December 18, 2024.
Accordingly the House passed the budget through second reading on December 19, 2024 and referred it to the Appropriations Committee with all Standing Committees as sub-committees for further legislative action before adjourning plenary for last year.
The House is presently on Christmas and New Year holidays and would resume next week Tuesday, January 14, 205.
Bichi told journalists that the budget defence will last till next week Friday and reports from the exercise may be harmonised on January 22 while the Appropriations Committee’s report would be laid at plenary on January 31.
The committee’s chairman assured that the panel and standing committees will be thorough with the budget defence in the interest of Nigerians.
“We just had the inauguration meeting today for the 2025 Appropriation Bill which you have been aware that the President has presented the budget us and by tomorrow we will start the budget defence with all the MDAs. From tomorrow to 17th we are going to do our budget defence and we will likely harmonise on the 22nd and God’s willing by 31st we are going to lay our reports.
“We are going to study the budget; all our committees will study the budget. I believe the budget is for Nigerians, for our development – infrastructure and other important things and I am sure Nigerians will be happy with it,” Bichi said.
